Months before the deadly vehicle attack on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day, the city modeled scenarios for how an attacker could enter the street at various intersections in a crew-cab Ford F-150 similar to the one used in the attack. Engineers found that such a pickup could enter the crowded tourist strip at speeds ranging from 12 to 70 mph.
Despite this, city officials are now installing new street barriers, known as “bollards,” that can only withstand 10-mph impacts. The documents reviewed by Reuters, which have not been previously reported, make clear that the system won’t be able to prevent vehicle attacks at moderate-to-high speeds.
The city prioritized ease of operation over crashworthiness of the new bollard system because of chronic problems in operating the old one, according to the documents and a source with direct knowledge of the city’s Bourbon Street security planning.
The new bollard system, provided by 1-800-Bollards Inc, has a 10-mph crash rating and is designed to slow or significantly damage a vehicle traveling at faster speeds. The system was chosen because it can be installed and removed daily by a single city staffer, whereas higher-crash-rated bollards would require specialized lifting equipment.
The city’s engineering analysis describes the system as having an “S10” crash rating, which means it can stop a 5,000-pound vehicle traveling at 10 mph. However, a vehicle traveling at higher speeds could still potentially cause significant damage and injuries.
The attack on New Year’s Day claimed the lives of 14 people and injured dozens more. The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. combat veteran from Texas, used a newer F-150 Lightning, a much faster and heavier vehicle than the one used in the city’s scenarios.
City officials had modeled scenarios for how an attacker could enter Bourbon Street at various intersections in a crew-cab Ford F-150, but they did not consider the possibility of an attack on the sidewalk. In fact, the city’s security modeling had only considered scenarios where a vehicle entered Bourbon Street on the roadway, not the sidewalk.
The new bollards will be installed by February 9, just in time for the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans. However, the source with direct knowledge of the city’s security planning acknowledged that the system will not be able to prevent vehicle attacks at moderate-to-high speeds and that the city is still grappling with the vulnerabilities of its Bourbon Street security plan.
